Memoriae
by darthlaurens
Summary: During a series of mysterious deaths in 17th century Germany, thirteen-year-old Hedwig is accused as a witch, and must convince her town that she is innocent before time runs out and she is burned at the stake.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: Franz**

 **Fulda Germany,1605**

It was only for a small second that I forgot where I was. The smell of incense filling the air as I was in the small shrift-room. The priest kept on rambling on and on, speaking prayers in Latin as I looked around the cell. Finally, he asked me a question, and apprehension filled me as he started speaking. "Franz Christian Baner. Did you teach that heretic how to read?"

"No Father."

"Did you ever encourage her Satanic practices and abandon the Lord?"  
"No Father."

"Did you ever engage in witchcraft or participate in the worship of the devil?"  
"No Father." These responses were coming out of my mouth as if I were trained to say this. I did not know this witch, she was just something that all of Frier knew about. Long dark hair, quite tall for her age and blue eyes so bright that they seemed to pierce the air with some frigid secret. To some, she was a freak, an abomination, and mothers would walk with their children on the other side of town so they would not see her house, for it was believed that whoever looked at her or admired her was a great sinner. I had seen her a couple of times since she was always locked in her room. No one knew what happened in there, but some speculated that she was cursing the town, or feeding her familiar. Rumours had spread that a black cat always visited her room, and was the only one that she opened the door to. But I was maybe the only person to feel bad for her. Always shut up in a room, and unfairly judged by everyone in the town. The priest then asked me one more question,

"Do you know her name?" I could not resist saying the truth, even though it might make me end up burning at the stake.

"Yes. Lady Hedwig Clara von Galen."

"Thank you. You may leave." He waited for me to leave before I stood up and walked towards the church door. I looked back and saw him writing in a piece of parchment, most likely a logbook. I silently walked towards him, hiding behind a pillar where a small bowl of holy water was carved out. I saw the letters slowly flowing and creating themselves. After the priest had finished writing, the words on the parchment said,

"Franz has probably associated with Lady Hedwig. He might live with her since no one I have questioned knew her name. He might have been lying to me, but also, the questions I had asked also did not reveal if they lived in the same house. Must ask the abbot if he can let me ask more specific questions." I was shocked. I did not know this woman, I only had heard of her from an old woman, who called herself Widow Maria. Maria knew almost everything about the town's happenings since she had lived here all her life. Her hair was always kept in a neat bun, and wore rich fabrics with simple patterns as if to not want to flaunt her wealth. She was the plumpest in the town, and some rumours even said that she ate one roasted swan a meal. In short, she was the unofficial matriarch of the town. She had told me that in the large house, a woman of 13 named Lady Hedwig lived in her room, never opening her door to anyone but her cat and servant, who gave her the meals she never ate. Maria said that she had seen her once, and when she did, she was reciting Hamlet's soliloquy, in English. She had read the play just that morning, according to Maria, and it was almost like seeing a miracle when she recited the soliloquy perfectly. I thanked her that day, since she had told me so much that I did not know. But she also told me one thing I already knew. Since the beginning I knew she never left her room, and that she had an almost supernatural memory. But also, there was one thing that I could never tell the priest even if he decided to torture me.

Hedwig was my cousin.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter one: Hedwig**

 **1605**

It was one thing to have a good memory, and it was another thing to be me. I do not just remember, I remember everything, from what I was thinking on specific days, to random lines of my favorite books It was usually a gift, since as a child I could help great-aunt Maria with the town's affairs (Maria, the constable was not happy with the division of pasture between the Aiches and Hoffmanns two weeks ago. Should we go back to the division we used in 1598?)But at the turn of the century, when I turned eight years old, I was not seen as a gift, but as a curse. Father Henot had spread the word that many women in the town were witches, and should be burned for the sake of anyone. Any literate or exceptionally smart girl would be burned, tortured, or publicly shamed. When Father Henot visited my home to see if there were any so-called witches, I was forced to hide in my room, where I have been hiding ever since. At first sight, the spacious fern-coloured room, lined with bookshelves seemed to be the perfect refuge for an intelellectual to be hiding. But as the years went on, that room seemed to grow smaller and smaller until it seemed to be a prison. I had already read and memorized all of the books in the room, and the only way to not die of boredom was to ask my great-aunt Maria to venture to the library and borrow books. I felt so sorry for her, she was so old, yet was kind enough to bring me entertainment in this dark time. The library was an uphill climb from the house, and through my window, I could see Maria constantly stopping and catching her breath. When she returned, I would massage her feet and legs, and she would tell me the latest town gossip. "Hedy, listen to what happened this morning while I was at the library," When she started her stories like this, I knew that Maria was about to tell something that she thought would capture my interest. "Do you know Martin Egon?"

"Yes. Isn't he the merchant that comes here the fifteenth of every month to trade English goods?"

" , he came to me while I was checking out some new books, and told me that England had started a colony in the New World."

"Really?"

"Trust me Hedy. I even heard that the daughter of an Indian chief saved the brave captain John Smith."

"Aunt Maria? Do you think that I would be allowed to go on an adventure like that, brave the harsh seas and meet new people…"

"Hedy!", Maria exclaimed, "You know you can't. First of all, if you ever leave this house, or even this room, you will be killed, and not just you, me, Franz and everyone who knows and has talked to you. Second of all? Who has ever heard of a _woman_ exploring the world much less a noble like you."

"Maria, you let me read, look at the hypocrisy in your words."

"Hedwig Clara von Galen, you do not question me in that tone. I let you read because I have kindness and choose to help you relieve your boredom but explore? If you want to meet new people meet them in your books that you pore over day and night."

"Maria, you should probably rest, you have been up since sunrise."

"Hedwig," Maria muttered under her breath, pronouncing every syllable in my name as if it were some curse, "You do not tell me what to do, or treat me like the child you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes aunt Maria." My great-aunt slammed the door behind her, and I could hear the door loudly shut in the room right above mine. I knew exactly where she was going, the gardens. It was the one place that I was not allowed to go, for it was outside, and I could be seen. I envied Maria since she could wander around freely, and rest with the sweet aroma of roses and chrysanthemums filling the air. There was one time I was allowed to leave to the gardens after being sent into hiding. When I was ten years old, a young man was visiting Fulda, looking for a future wife. He introduced himself simply as Franz, and went towards our house. Maria met him in the gardens, and asked what he was doing here. According to her, Franz sighed, "I have heard of a young beauty who lives in this house. Who may she be?

"Whoever you are, you must leave right now, for her sake. If you love her so, leave, for she is in mortal peril."

"A maiden of ten? What such peril?" Maria told me that she had looked around to see if anyone was in earshot of her. The streets were almost deserted, save the stray dogs that begged for scraps at the butcher's shop. Then, she whispered in his ear,

"She has been accused of witchcraft by the abbot. If anyone sees her, they will call her out, out of fear, and she will surely die."

"May I see her? I swear on my good honor that I will not tell a soul about her." At that moment, I heard Maria enter the house and knock on my door.

"HEDWIG YOU HAVE A VISITOR" she shouted through the thick walls. "COME TO THE GARDENS IMMEDIATLEY" I was very young at the time, so I thought this was an exciting opportunity, not thinking about the dangers of anyone seeing me. I put on my hood and cloak, as Maria instructed me to do if by any circumstance I would have to leave my room. Then, I left to the gardens, almost falling over in the heavy satin and wool layers that made my long dress. I saw great-aunt Maria standing near the rose bushes, talking with a stranger, a man.

I had never talked to any men since I was seven years old, when I exhibited my abilities in front of a Castilian knight. He was a man of around thirty years old, based off of his advanced beard and the gray streaks that ran through it. He had visited Fulda while riding to Münich to visit General Jiménez, his brother, who was there for diplomatic reasons. He had given me a script, Castilian I guessed because of the accents and lack of the letter "w". By his look, I assumed that I was supposed to memorize the text and recite it word for word in front of him. I was nervous, _what would he think of me?_ I thought, but then, I started thinking about how this was just like any other book I had read. Then, after a couple minutes of studying, I began to recite,

" _En un lugar de la Mancha cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme,"_ The knight was greatly surprised, and begged me to recite more. After I had told him of a skinny horse, a crazy old landowner and his niece, he had dropped the script and looked at me in shock. Two of his guards applauded, and tossed me a couple of _pesetas_. I grabbed them, and then hid behind great-aunt Maria's skirt, since the knight was starting conversation, which I hated. Maria could understand him, yet her thick German accent made it difficult for the knight to know what she was saying. After a couple minutes, the knight left, and I emerged from behind the large folds of Maria's dress. She smiled at me, and gave me my first taste of roast peacock that night.

Franz did not look like that knight I had met several years before. He was much younger, and seemed to be of a higher rank. _A nobleman_ , I thought, _but what would he be doing here in Fulda?_ He introduced himself to me, and asked me if I could walk with him around the gardens. Everything there was more beautiful than I could ever imagine, flowers in every color blooming, bright blue skies dotted with tiny clouds, green foliage lining the paths; the best walk I had ever had. Except that this strange man was with me, which I found kind of awkward. I had never engaged in conversation since being hidden except for Maria, and it's very different to talk to an old woman than a young man. After several minutes of silence, I asked him a question. "What is your name, and why have you come here." The man seemed to be relieved by a break in the silence and responded,

"Franz Christian, house of Baner. I have come here to seek a wife, for in where I come from, there is a serious lack of ladies of rank. What is your name."

"Hedwig Clara von Galen. If you are looking for a wife, then you are like a fool looking for apples in a plum cake."

"And why so? Aren't you the beauty that the old hag was talking about?"

"Don't talk about my dear aunt Maria like that. And no, I am the wrong person. Also, I am not of marrying age."

"How old are you."

"Ten years old, almost eleven."

"The younger the better." Franz slowly laced his fingers around mine, to hold my hand, and I was disgusted. How could this man think that he had the right to make me his wife, without even knowing who I was? I shoved his hand back, and tried to run as much as I could in my heavy dress while shouting insults at him. He did not take any offense, and started to run after me. "Wait!" he yelled "I did not mean that, please come back!." I did not trust him and yelled back,

"Zounds! You look like an angel yet speak and treat me like the devil. Go away to your castle or mansion, or wherever you creep and your kind come from. Just go right now." I hid behind a tall azalea bush, which blended in perfectly with my pink and green dress. He ran back to aunt Maria, and told him about what happened. I was listening to him speak, and was expecting Maria to get mad at me for not acting ladylike. Her response to him shocked me,

"Franz Christian Baner, if you think that you can treat my niece like this, then begone, and never come back to our house, or Fulda, again. If you want to marry her, wait until she is older, not just a maiden who is trying to live her life. Her life is hard without you trying to mess it up. GO NOW!"

Franz lept on his horse and left terrified. Everyone in Fulda knew that you could never mess with Maria, and from that day on, Franz did not return to Fulda. Until today, since I heard aunt Maria talk with Franz upstairs in the garden. I could barely hear what they were saying, but I could only hear one thing. "Yes of course, I will make wedding arrangements as soon as possible."


End file.
